Railroad rail joint bridge



Nov. 8, 1932- T. s. THOMAS 1,837,252

RAILROAD RAIL JOINT BRIDGE Filed June 22 .1951

gwomtoz Patented Nov. 8, 1932 UNITED STATES THOMAS s. THOMAS, or iginnn-nfrnnno' RAILROAD RAIL JOINT maven Application filed. June 22,

My invention relates to railroad rails and has for its object to provide a new and eiiicient bridge for rail joints, which bridge will smooth out the joint, making the wheels pass thereover without noise or vibration.

A further object is to provide a smooth rail joint which will save the road bed, the ends of the rails, the ties and the wear and tear on the wheels of the rollingstock, by

taking out the oint vibration and by smoothing out the joint so that there will be no jar as the wheels pass over the joint.

A still further object is to provide a rail joint which will be so bridged as to take the vibration out of the rolling stock passing thereover, making the engines pull more load for the same amount of power expended and making the engines and rolling stock last longer and do more efiicient work.

A still further object is to provide a rail joint bridge which when used on bridges will take out the vibration of the rails thereby making it possible to run the train over the bridge more swiftly with less danger than is now possible. V

A still further object is to provide a rail joint which will keep the rails in alignment, and at the same time allow for'expansion and contraction of the rails due toweather conditions.

These objects I accomplish with the device illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which similar numerals and letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views and as described in the specification forming a part of this application and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing in which I have shown the best and most preferred manner of building my invention Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a rail joint showing my joint bridge in place therein.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the abutting 'face of the half of the bridge.

Figure 3 is a plan view of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an inverted plan view of Figure 2. l

Figure 5 is an end view of one half of the bridge.

1931. Serial" No. 54am.

Figure ti is a section throughthe rail show ing the cut through the bridgeand one-rivet holding the bridge in place. j- H Figure- 7 is a plan view of the rail joint with my-doubl'e to indicate the rivets, holding the bridge in place and the, holes {through the bridge, .as well as the. position of j the retaining A plugs at one end or each bridge section. E,

-Figure Sis a smaller plan viewof the ends ofthe rail withthe bridgereinoved r In the drawing Lhave shown one railas A, V and thejother rail asB,joined together at C. Into the top side of each rail adjacent the endthereof-andinalignmentj with each other, I thencut openings orsockets 1 which will-be shaped-as desired, that being shown iswith rounded ends. Into the bottom of the opening on one side I bore a small hole-2 andintoflthe other railI borea similar hole 3 on the opposite side of the. opening. f I- then bore a cross rivet hole {1 throughthe rail Aand a similarrivetholefithrough the rail B. ,Therails are then ready to receive my bridge. The-bridge consists of opposed identical complementary 75,

bridge blocks 6 and 7 beingall made alike. Each block is provided with a depending lug 8 thereon adapted to fit into the holes 2and 8 ThelngjsS are formed on theunder side of the said block adjacent one end thereof. The block 6 is inserted into one side of the two. openings 1 filling one half of each opening and extending from one rail to the other, bridging the joint between the rails, and the block 7 likewise inserted into the'other side of the openings 1 with the ends of the blocks reversed so that the lugs 8 fit into the holes 2 and 3.

Each block is bored transversely at 9 to provide a securing rivet hole and has a transverse elongated slot 10 to receive the securing rivet'of the opposite block. Rivets 1'1 and 12 are then passed through the holes A and 5 in the endsof the rails andthrough the holes 9 and 10 inthe blocks locking the blocks in position in the openings. 1 v The rivets pass through the holes in the rail through one ,hole 9 in one block and then through the other hole 10 in theother opposed 7 block so that the rivet holds one end of the block from movement, but allows the other bridge in" place, dotted lines 5 5 22 mamas block to slide thereon the necessary amount for expansion and contraction of the joint.

The lugs hold the blocks from longitudinal movement in the rail with which they are to expand and contract. The rivets are slightly smaller in diameter than the holes 9 to allow for someidegree of 'p lay so thatethe. blocks are not rigidly loekedtothe rail ends? Having thus described my inVention-Lde.-" sire to secure by Letters Patent and claim; 7 1. In a rail joint bridge tli'e'coinhiiiation of" a set of complementary blockscarried-inelongated openings in the top side oftlie ends of each rail said blocks bridgingiche jointtof the rails; and means to hold each of said blocks in: fiX'ed longitudinal relation to oneend of the abutting rails. 1 I I 2. In a rail joint bridgethacombination oi a; set ofblocks carried in an clongated o' 'jening formediin the 'abnttingends of the rails, said" blocks bridging-thej oint; a ing-formed on the bottomof opposed ends of the respective blocks, said lngs set into holes in the openings of said rails g an'd rivet's passed through; the ends of each" rail and the olocks;--to hold the blocks in position; said rivets being carried in' elongated openings in one end of said blocks 1 to allow for ex ansion and contrac tion.

' 3i ln a railjoint bridgethecomhination of sockets for-med in=the=ends of the rails in' alignment witheach otherya' liloek out to fit into said sockets and longitudinally fill one hal-f of tlie said op enings witli anothersim-ila-n block to fill theother halfa lng on one end of said blocks to fit into a hole in the hottom ot tlie-said sockets tmlbclzione of said blocks to each rail section and-to allow for expansion and contraction of the rails withont changing the longitudinallyrel ativeipositi-ons of the-lolocksactingn-stliebridge:

t estimony whereof 1 liaveaifixedmy-signature: K I v v S2 'DHOMASi- 

